George worked too hard. If you asked him, at least. Which no one ever did. And anyway he liked his work, so he didn't much mind but there were nights when one needed a night off. Specifically there were nights when one was supposed to be going over quarterly accounts and profits to use as part of their new shop pitch, and when one didn't do them one's twin would have to do them. Which was only fair since Fred had broken the One Rule. George felt that meant he had to do everything boring for at least a month. Possibly a year. Maybe until George forgot about it, or they hired someone else to work at the shop and George snogged them to even out the scales of justice.
But at any rate, he'd gone out. By himself, but that wasn't so much lack of company as it was keeping his options open, he decided. Well that and Ang and Katie had been busy or asleep or having incredible lesbian sex that they didn't want to interrupt to go out. (He liked that last explanation the best.)
And Lee was doing something work-like. George forgot what. But he'd found a cute black-haired girl that he'd bought drinks for, and he now had pink lipstick smeared on both cheeks. But then she'd finally smiled with her mouth open and she had a gaping hole between her teeth. Someone could drive an auto through there. George found it entirely distracting and slipped away.
He was about to make a dash for it when he spied a familiar face. A face that should, by rights, be covered with boils.
Or rashes.
He really wished he'd brought some of that new itch powder that they'd in no way sent to Ginny's friend.
"Oi! Pucey! How've you been! Any more nice girls walking around saddled with kids you abandoned, or just the one?" George asked, clamping Adrian's shoulder in a way that would have been friendly. And probably LOOKED almost friendly. Except for how it was more or less a punch only with a friendlier look and an open hand.
He plonked himself down in Ali's abandoned chair - ignoring the evidence that it was occupied. Since he was either out with Ali, or he was out with someone Not-Ali. Which meant George could cut off his ears.